Plate-lifter



L. R. TURNER, sR.

PLATE LlFTER.

APPLICATION FILED-APR. 17. 1920.

Patented Oct. 26, 1920.

Lewis/771 rnerSl:

WITIBS! LEWIS R. TURNER, SB, OF MAGNOLIA, NEW JERSEY.

PLATE-LIFTER.

Application filed April 17,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS R. TURNER, Sin, a citizen of the United States, residing at Magnolia, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Plate-Lifters, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to kitchen and table articles and more particularly to devices for handling plates, trays, shallow pans and the like, and has for an object to provide a lifter for readily grasping or lifting a hot plate or other similar article without danger of burning the hands.

Among other features the invention comprehends a plate lifter which is of a simple construction, light in weight, and which by reason of the novel manner of assembly of the parts can be readily and quickly employed for the urpose desired and cannot easily get out of order.

In the further disclosure of the invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings constituting a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the lifter, the arms being in normal non-operative position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the lifter showing the arms spread apart to grip a plate or similar article, and

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 in Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Referring more particularly to the views, the handle 10 is preferably made of wood or some other similar material and includes a plurality of bars 12, preferably formed from a single piece of wire-like material bent in a U shape form, to pass through the handle 10 with the looped end 13 forming a bail for a hook 14 whereby the device can be hung up when not in use. The forward ends of the bars project beyond the handle 10 and are formed adjacent their free ends with off -set portions 15 for a purpose that will be hereinafter more fully disclosed. On the extremities of the bars and which extremities although parallel, are

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 26, 1920. 1920. Serial No. 374,724.

spaced a slightly greater distance apart than the inner portions of the bars, are pivoted a plurality of curved arms 16, the extremitles of which are provided with turned up portions 17 and pivoted to the arms adjacent their points of pivotal connection with the bars are links 18 having their inner ends seated in or secured to a cross piece 19 arranged to slide on the bars 12. An expansible helical spring 20 has one end seated in the forward end of the handle 10 and the other end seated in the cross piece 19, the spring being disposed in the narrow space between those portions of the bars which are closer together than the other portions thereof and adapted to normally hold the cross piece 19 in advanced position, the forward movement of the cross piece being limited by the off-set portions 15. By reason of the provision of the links 18 it will be apparent that the arm 16 will be closed as shown in Fig. 1, when the cross piece 19 is in its advanced position. A light handle bar or shank 21 is rigidly secured to the cross piece and carries an operating handle 22 wh1ch when pulled rearwardly will slide the cross piece 19 on the bars 12 and against the tension of the spring 20, causing the arms 16 to be swung relatively apart and into open position as shown in Fi 3, so

that a hot pie or other plate or similar article or utensil, can be readily grasped by the arms and easily picked up and carried without dan er of burning the fingers.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the device described is of a sim le construction and consists of relatively ew parts, being primarily made of a heavy grade of wire having a certain resiliency but sufficiently strong to withstand the wear and tear to which a device of this character ma be subjected.

aving described my invention, I claim 1. A device of the character described comprising a handle, bars projecting from the handle and having off-set portions, arms pivoted to swing on the bars, a cross piece mounted to slide on the bars and having its movement in one direction limited by the off-set portions and links pivoted to the arms and secured to the cross piece.

2. A device of the character described comprisin a handle, bars projecting from the handfia and having off-set portions, arms pivoted to swing on the bars, a cross piece mounted to slide on the bars, and having its movement in one direction limited by the off-set portions, links pivoted to the arms and secured to the cross piece, a handle for the cross piece and a spring dlsposed between the bars and having one end abutting against the first menture.

LEWIS R. TURNER, SR. 

